The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Tarleton State
Softball sweeps Tarleton State & Vernon College in fall doubleheader
10.26.2019 | Softball
Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes homered in both contests to power the Longhorns offense
AUSTIN, Texas – Playing at Red & Charline McCombs Field for the first time this fall season, Texas softball swept a Saturday afternoon doubleheader from Tarleton State (10-6) and Vernon College (5-3).
Major Players
vs. Tarleton State – Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes (2-for-3, double, HR, three RBIs) and senior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington (1-for-4, double, three RBIs) powered the 12-hit offensive attack. Sophomore shortstop McKenzie Parker was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, redshirt junior designated player Taylor Ellsworth was 2-for-3 with a double, redshirt senior outfielder Reagan Hathaway was 1-for-2 with a walk and a RBI, junior third baseman Mary Iakopo was 2-for-4 and junior second baseman Janae Jefferson was 1-for-2 with a walk and a RBI.
vs. Vernon College – Rhodes went 1-for-4 while hitting a HR for the second-straight game. Sophomore transfer Colleen Sullivan was 1-for-4 with a two-run HR. Iakopo was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored, senior designated player Miranda Elish was 2-for-3 with a RBI and senior shortstop Kaitlyn Slack was 1-for-2 with a walk and a RBI.
In the Circle
vs. Tarleton State – Elish picked up the victory by allowing one run on four hits with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work.
vs. Vernon College – Sophomore Shealyn O'Leary earned the win over the Chaps with 5.0 innings of one-hit ball and seven strikeouts.
Details – Tarleton State
With Elish having struck out three Tarleton State hitters over two, one-hit innings of work, Texas' offense erupted in the bottom of the second to the tune of five runs on four hits. It all started with one down as junior right fielder Lauren Burke was hit by a pitch and freshman designated player Courtney Day walked to put two aboard. From there, a Hathaway RBI single up the middle, a failed fielder's choice attempt to the plate, a Parker RBI squeeze, a Rhodes RBI double to left center and a Janae Jefferson RBI blooper to left center boosted UT in front, 5-0.
Tarleton State got something going in the top of the fourth as Georgia Capell started the frame with a sharp single through the left side. Walks to Morgan Medford and Kadyn Kirkpatrick soon loaded the bags with one down. Morgan Ling stepped into the box and bounced a RBI single through the right side to get TSU on the board. Burke came up throwing from right field for the Horns, however, and cut down a runner at the plate. Elish followed with her fourth K of the afternoon as Texas limited the damage in maintaining a 5-1 advantage.
The Longhorns got that run right back in their half of the fourth, plus some. With Parker on board via a one-out single to left, Rhodes came to the plate and crushed a two-run bomb down the left field line to make it 7-1.
Texas added three more to take a 10-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth as singles from Iakopo and Day were followed by consecutive RBI doubles from Washington (two RBIs) and Parker.
Facing Texas junior pitcher Ariana Adams in her third inning of relief, Tarleton State managed to load the bags with one out in the seventh on consecutive walks and a single through the left side. A hit batter forced in a tally, and then a grand slam to left center cleared the base paths as the Texans cut their deficit to 10-6. Back-to-back strikeouts finally ended the frame as TSU put a five-spot on the board.
Details – Vernon College
In the day's second match-up, Texas' offense wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Rhodes started the contest by driving the second pitch she saw over the wall to left. With Jefferson on via a single, Sullivan stepped up and launched a two-run shot to center to boost the Longhorns in front, 3-0.
O'Leary rolled through the opening two frames from the circle with three K's until allowing a leadoff single up the middle to open the third. That was all the nation's returning ERA leader would allow, however, as the next three Chaps went down in order.
The Longhorns got back to work in the bottom of the fourth as a leadoff Iakopo double down the left field line was cashed in on an Elish RBI single. Slack then followed an MK Tedder walk with a RBI single to boost the gap to 5-0.
Vernon College opened up the sixth against relievers with consecutive walks and a single to load the bags with no outs. A one-out free pass soon forced in VC's first run of the day. From there, a two-out, two-run blooper dropped on the grass in shallow center to cut the Vernon College deficit to 5-3.
That was a close as Vernon College would get, however, as reliever Day finished off the seventh in order to secure the Texas Saturday sweep.
